Written Words – Concepts File

A few weeks ago my supervisor suggested I start a “concepts file” to include ideas I was dealing with. This observation seemed vaguely philosophical in a possibly blog-worthy way:

Failure of the observer-object relationship: it seems that my report is playing a role in the status of these organizations it is attempting to collect information about. For example: one group wanted to use the report as the central hub of the organization — it basically just functions as a complaint center/action center for the neighborhood. Being in the report was central to its goals, so much so that it’s not clear the organization exists without it. Another organization is restructuring, but wanted to use my report as a deadline for when the restructuring would happen. So she is putting off answering the survey until they get closer. In other words, collecting information has a formation effect on the groups I’m “studying.”